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spinach pie recipe

I don’t know when it took hold, but le Brunch has become popular in Paris. Unlike the Bloody Mary and Mimosa-fueled repasts we had when I lived in San Francisco, in Paris, the concept is a little different. For one thing, Sundays are blissfully “sacred” and no one seems to want to wake up and go anywhere until — well, Monday. And the places that do serve brunch are very crowded with revelers who probably didn’t get to bed the previous evening.

Add to that, the concept of le clipboard hasn’t taken hold here, so when you’re waiting at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservations, you need to be eagle-eyed and extra vigilant because if you don’t, someone will easily slide right in front of you and grab your spot without a second thought. My partner Romain, is very, very good at keeping his eye on who’s in front, although he’s even better at sliding in front of the others himself. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em…

Eggs and butter for spinach pie

For those of us who don’t want to wait in a line of chain-smoking bobos (Parisian hipsters) on a Sunday morning, this Spinach Pie is very easy to make with just a few ingredients. In fact, you can even make the mixture beforehand, refrigerate it, and bake it off the next day.

spinach pie recipe

Spinach can be quite gritty, especially if you buy it directly from a farmer, as I like to do. So I recommend that you triple-wash it.

spinach pie recipe

This is an excellent dish for vegetarians and can be served with a big green salad. For those who want meat, I like to serve it with slices of country or boiled ham alongside. Because it has no crust, a loaf of bread makes it a more complete meal, along with a bottle of vin blanc.

spinach pie recipe

Spinach Pie

Adapted from A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes (Artisan) by David Tanis Be sure to season the mixture very well before baking. If you want to take the Spinach Pie in another direction, you could try adding small bits of cooked bacon or ham to the batter just after pureeing it, or some crumbled feta or sauteed mushrooms. To make it a more complete meal, for brunch or otherwise, it can be served with country ham (such as prosciutto) or smoked salmon alongside. If you'd like the pie to be a bit richer, replace the milk with half-and-half. If you'd like to bake a smaller pie, you can cut the recipe in half and bake it in a smaller baking dish for about 35 minutes.
Servings 8 servings
  • 2 medium leeks, (or two onions, diced, or 1 bunch of scallions, minced)
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) butter, salted or unsalted
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 pounds (900g) fresh spinach, stemmed and triple-washed
  • big pinch of chile pepper or cayenne
  • whole nutmeg
  • 2 cups (500ml) whole milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Trim away the very dark green part of the leeks. Slice each leek lengthwise, rotate them a quarter turn, then slice them lengthwise again, keeping the end intact. Swish the leeks in a bowl of water until they’re grit-free, then towel dry. Chop into small pieces. (If substituting onions or scallions, prepare them as directed in the ingredient list.)
  • Melt the butter in a deep skillet or shallow pot that has a lid and sauté the leeks with a little salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until they’re translucent. While the leeks are cooking, cut the spinach into smaller pieces.
  • Once the leeks are cooked, begin adding the spinach in batches, replacing the lid until the spinach in the pan has cooked down, and there's room to add more. Season lightly with salt and pepper as you go, and include a big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and chile powder during the final batch.
  • When all the spinach has wilted and most of the juices have evaporated, transfer it to a bowl or platter and let cool. Stirring it a few times will speed it up.
  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Liberally butter a round or rectangular baking dish with high sides, with a capacity of at least 2 quarts (2l).
  • Working in batches, puree the cooked spinach mixture with the milk and eggs until almost smooth with a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Grate a layer of Parmesan over the top and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.

Notes

Note: Occasionally I've had a little bit of separation of the custard baking, leaving a thin white layer of custard on the bottom. Of course, this is harmless and doesn't affect the taste of the dish.
Serving: Serve warm or at room temperature.
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46 comments

    • Diva

    David- you are so cosmic! I just made a tray for andrea too!
    we call it a sformato!

    We also have a fun sweet version that they do in Lucca, with pumpkin pie spice mix, and raisins and pinenuts!

    when you close your eyes, it tastes like pumkin pie!
    Called torta coi becchi or torta alle erbe, with chard.

    • pip of meetmeatmikes

    Y.U.M.
    I wonder about a bit of a biscuity parmesan crust. But that’s just me. It looks completely delicious just as it is! Green perfection.

    • David

    pip: I think you could easily bake it in a crust, although since the better is made with milk, it’s quite runny. You might want to substitute cream for some of the milk if you give it a go. Or just simply heap a lot more Parmesan on top!

    diva: I’ve had that tart in Lucca, and I love them.
    One day let’s make one…together : )

    • Lore

    My French friends were horrified by the concept of a Mimosa. How could one mix orange juice with champagne??? But somehow I managed to convince the restaurant to make me one the one time I have been out for brunch in Paris.

    • krysalia

    hey, that’s funny : with a crust that’s one of my mother’s favorite recipes, I loved this so much when I was a child :D. At 8 years old, my friends thought it was wierd, because of… you know… spinachs :D, but I did love this and I still do.

    like any quiche, the crust need to go to the oven alone for ten minutes, brushed before with some egg white to prevent the spinach batter to sog the crust. with this method, no sogging problem (I know this is a classical recipe but if someone doesn’t know…)

    • Kim B.

    Love your description of the unappealing prospect of standing outside freezing waiting for a Parisian brunch. I’m always stumped when visitors want brunch ideas. It makes me a little insane (well a little *more* insane is probably a more apt description).

    • Kim B.

    Love your description of the unappealing prospect of standing outside freezing waiting for a Parisian brunch. I’m always stumped when visitors want brunch ideas. It makes me a little insane (well a little *more* insane is probably a more apt description).

    • mila

    Lovely green and dense cake, I can see myself making this for several vegetarian friends soon! Thank you for the inspiration.

    • Eileen

    This sounds very good. I grew up eating creamed spinach, a lot (if we were at a restaurant my mother always asked the kitchen to make it for me since it usually wasn’t on the menu). I’m sure it was great with the smoked ham (and some crusty bread!)

    • Job

    Hi David,

    This looks o so gorgeous and i didn’t know that you were working on a new book. Can’t wait til’ its finished. Maybe i’m misunderstood, or just bad at reading. but it seems the spinach mixture is on a crust, but in your steps there’s no mentioning of the crust. Can you help me out here?

    • Maya

    Can’t wait for that new book!

    • margaux

    Boy is that cake bright green! It looks absolutely delicious. If only my boyfriend was a bigger fan of quiche then I could make it and I wouldn’t have to worry about left overs. Sigh, the things we do for love.

    • David

    Job: Even though it looks like crust on the bottom, it’s just a thin layer of custard that separated out.

    • Melanie

    I love this–my Grandmother used to make a potato cake–no recipe available only in her head and time-nice spin on brunch–smoked salmon-baguette with goat cheese -spinach cake and I am in heaven.
    Thanks David.

    • Gemma

    I like the idea of mushrooms with this but for some reason adding a little bacon and serving with scrambled eggs sounds just right for a comforting January supper. It’s going on my to do list and adding to the reasons to buy this book!

    • Erin

    This looks wonderful and that bit of ham on the side. . . mmm. I do believe this recipe will be making a guest appearance in my kitchen!

    Can’t wait to read trhe book.

    • Abra

    I’m amazed that you had trouble finding spinach, as we are drowning in the stuff down here in the south. In fact, I love the idea of making this with those giant, big-as-your-head, sweet spinach leaves that are in the market right now. I’m having guests on Wednesday, and I think I’ll build the menu around this. Thanks!

    • judy gal

    David, you are so fabulously funny!.. You make me (and I’m certain – – many others) laugh right out loud–!! Thanks for the delightful story and the yummy recipe!
    Hugs to ya for 2009!!!…

    • kayenne

    This sounds funnily like a spinach frittata/omelette. I usually stir in some chopped frozen spinach(thawed first, of course) into the eggs and cream mixture before pouring it into the fry pan, then finishing it in an oven. In fact, I just made a spicy potato, sausage and spinach frittata tonight for my sister to reheat for breakfast tomorrow. I usually pair it with some scones, but too lazy and tired now. She’ll have to make do with toast.

    • elra

    David, This look absolutely worth trying.
    Cheers,
    Elra

    • ygardin

    J’adore ton blog! This one made me laugh. The Spinach cake (le cake aux epinards) looks delicious, and so…healthy and green.

    • Anne

    Thanks for this. I’ve been searching for something to replace my old tried and true spinach dish for brunch that calls for cottage cheese in fairly large quantities, some thing that’s not easy to find in Paris. This looks much more elegant and delicious.

    P.S. I had a complete flop with the rice krispie/white chocolate/candied peanuts recipe. Could marshmallows that were regrettably on the stale side be the culprit?

    • Dawn in CA

    When I was younger, I loved spinach souffle — you know, the icky frozen kind from Stouffer’s? Sad, but true. My taste buds have matured somewhat (or so I’d like to think) and I’ve always wanted to try a homemade version. This spinach cake might be just the thing. Yum! Thanks for another great recipe.

    • Spacey Milena

    I’ll echo what pip of meatmeetmikes said because someone with a moniker like that deserves an echo… but I digress. You are the cosmic dude David and, this is one cosmic trip of spinach cake sans grit. I’ll also add that had you gone to jail that would have been a cosmic incarceration and if the elusive Dave T ever guest blogs then, then I’m sure that it will be one hell of a cosmic post cause you say so. Your stuff is cosmic.er however. But that’s just my personal opinion.

    • Katarina Johansson

    Now I started salivating! :P Thank you for the recipe, now I know what to have for lunch tomorrow! I have some smoked ham laying in the fridge which needs to be eaten. Well, it’s a smoked, quite salty ham. In Swedish it’s called “kassler” and unfortunately I don’t know what that would be translated to in english.

    I use to make something like this spinach cake you are presenting here today, but then it’s an Iranian dish called Kuku Sabzi. Think your spinach cake will go nicely with the salty ham.

    Also, it could be nice to sprinkle the spinach dish with some dried, orange marigold on it. :)

    A cold sauce made of youghurt and dried mint could go well with this too. Makes it a bit wetter. Or one with grated cucumber and youghurt perhaps?

    Looking forward to your next post! :)

    • Margie

    I’d eat this in a heartbeat, and yes, I do believe that a bit of bacon would do it well. Got to bookmark this item and remember to add spinach to my grocery list. A nice recipe to start the New Year.

    Thanks, David!

    • Rhonda

    This recipe is amazing.

    I love, love, love spinach! I have fresh, cleaned spinach in my fridge right now so this came at a perfect time. The spinach is off-season here but I bought it anyway(ssshhhh, don’t tell anyone), so I will not judge the outcome until I can poach fresh spinach from my parents’ garden later on this year. Would a little bit of fresh squeezed lemon on top be blasphemous?

    • Kathy

    Made it. Very runny, however, also very tasty. Agree with others that some bacon would be good, but wouldn’t add mushrooms as they too would add to the wetness. Preferred it served warm out of the oven.

    Thanks, Davids

    • Sarah

    Can’t wait to try this recipe. I hope to serve it with a fried egg and some crispy smoked thick bacon. Oooh, and a loaf from Poilane too w/ some fresh orange or tomato juice. Throw in some killer coffee and that may just be the breakfast of my dreams.

    And I too must confess, I grew up with that Frozen Spinach Souffle a la Stouffer’s and once in a blue moon I still buy one and thoroughly enjoy it. Nostalgia can be incredibly delicious and satisfying.

    Is my confession gonna get me booted from this blog?

    • Holly

    That looks amazing!

    BTW, I ordered a platter of figs from Amazon a few weeks before Christmas and they just emailed me saying that they can not find any copies!

    • Joanne

    Oh David,

    I must thank you again, liebchen. Your uncontested maverick title is not resting on its laurels; you’ve managed to hit very nicely all the little colère of the food world! From the: “goes well with a big green salad” pawn off, to the masterful yet playful jab at letting the market dictate our cooking.

    You’ve mentioned Dave T and his new book before, but I’m glad you keep bringing him up! Apart from being grateful that he was there to rescue you from going to jail, you’ve given us his spinach cake recipe, which is mouthwatering in pictures and description. I hope he does make a guest appearance soon! I’m sure we’ll be delighted yet again!

    As Diva correctly points out, Italian cooks, who are no strangers to vegetables pies and molds, call these concoctions a “torta” when they are baked in a pastry crust, but a “sformato” when they are simply unmolded from a baking dish All goes to show that great cooks think alike regardless of borders!

    • Barbra

    I sort of detest brunch, maybe from having worked more than a few of them. Plus, I can never decide if I want something sweet or savory, a conundrum that is unique to brunch menus.

    Anyway, this is a beautiful dish, any time of day. I think I’ll follow your suggestion and add some bacon, and maybe use a little crème frâiche in the batter, too.

    • Claire

    That looks INCREDIBLE. Such a beautiful, vibrant green! My vegetarian friends will thank you for this.

    I don’t feel that the French have really got the hang of brunch. I’ve seen spaghetti on ‘brunch’ menus. When I try to explain to them that some dishes are just brunchy and some just aren’t, I get so confused, as it’s not an easy line to draw.

    • Joy the Baker

    I know the world is a beautiful place because spinach can be turned into cake. Oh the glory!

    • andrea Ulbrick

    It’s in the oven right now and smells divine. I drained 3/4 cup of liquid from the mixture before blending and only used 6 bunches (Australian bunches might be bigger) and only double washed as I spun it in the salad spinner, which I think is very effective. Will advise on outcome soon.

    Signed, Seriously Salivating

    • Andrea Ulbrick

    Totally captivating, looks great, tasty! Great hot, will try it cold with some olive oil and fresh lemon thyme spinkled on top — later tonight.

    • Steve

    I overcooked mine a bit, so the eggs separated and I got spinach water in the bottom of the baking dish. Should have started checking for doneness after about 35 minutes. It was still good (and I got that layer that looks like a crust, too).

    • Siiri

    Hey David! This recipe is just perfect for my health nut boyfriend, for pretty much any meal! We both love spinach, but I’ll only eat it wilted or cooked, no thanks on the raw stuff, too waxy and bitter for me. :P

    I’m going to try various versions of the above, and why wouldn’t I with the original Costco just 2 miles away from the condo?! (Downtown Seattle) My first thought was that I could actually put this mixture over or inside of puff pastry for an appetizer if I were doing a dinner party…..maybe with the addition of brie?????

    I’ll report back with results, ideas and critiques. :)

    -Siiri

    • Loreto

    This sounds hevenly. I was looking for a spinach side dish to serve with some stir fried lentils and this sounds wonderful! Thanks for a briliant recipe.

    • Loreto

    This sounds heavenly. I was looking for a spinach side dish to serve with some stir fried lentils and this sounds wonderful! Thanks for a brilliant recipe.

    • debinsf

    Wow! Made this tonight with beet greens, chard and shallots. So very, very delicious. I can think of a zillion occasions at which this would be a wonderful dish. Thank you.

    • Yholl

    Made this Asian-style with white pepper, soy sauce, (no cheese), and chopped water chestnuts. Tastes good with Sriracha but the spinach came out a very dark color. The dog begs me pathetically for small bites. Weird for a weiner dog, no?

    • Archana

    Never heard of or even dreamt of something like this. looks nice. But not sure how my family can take it. They love spinach of all kinds, but in this form. Thanks for sharing, probably will use this idea, to make a spinach lentil cake?

    • Vidya

    This sounds similar to this Indian thing my mother makes, it has an Indian name, but I don’t remember it. She got it off a family friend ages ago, and she makes it often for a light dinner. It has spinach, creamed corn, a mix of wholewheat and white flours, a few spices, and oil or butter or a mix, depending on what you feel like. No eggs – Indian vegetarians don’t traditionally eat eggs. It’s slightly dense, and just a teensy bit gooey inside, absolutely delicious hot or cold. Yum I think I’ll add leeks or scallions next time too.

    • Jules

    Made this a while ago. The boyfriend was a little freaked by the whole spinach cake concept, but it tasted quite nice. Like a light, airy, and very spinachy cake. Great fancy side dish! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    • Aditi

    Hi David,

    Great recipe! I hope you won’t laugh at my question, but here it is: do you weigh the spinach before or after removing the stems?

    I’ve actually already made the cake. It’s cooling and will be served at dinner tonight. It looks great, very much like your own (I love it when I make something and it looks exactly like the image with the recipe!) without the custard layer at the bottom. But I thought I should make sure about the weights for future reference.

    Thanks!

    Aditi

A

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